No. 15: Cannon, High Soldier and Elephant Win by Rule vs Lone Cannon

"No. 15: Cannon, High Soldier and Elephant Win by Rule vs Lone Cannon" is a Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) puzzle from the collection Practical Endgames. Red moves first and wins in 18 moves; the key first move is E5+3. Below you will find the full solution, what each move achieves, where it could go wrong, and the alternative defences.

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Pieces on the board

Red has a General, a Elephant, a Cannon, a Soldier. Black has a General, a Cannon.

Solution move by move

1. Red E5+3
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
1. Black K4-1
1. Black K4-1
2. Red C5=8
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
2. Black K4+1
2. Black K4+1
3. Red C8+2
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 10 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
3. Black K4-1
3. Black K4-1
4. Red C8=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 11 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
The Cannon stands where it can be captured.
4. Black K4=5
4. Black K4=5
5. Red C6-5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 17 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
5. Black C4+4
5. Black C4+4
6. Red P5=6
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 14 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
6. Black C4=2
6. Black C4=2
7. Red P6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 18 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
7. Black C2+2
7. Black C2+2
8. Red C6=5
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 17 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
8. Black C2=6
8. Black C2=6
9. Red C5-1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 15 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
9. Black K5-1
9. Black K5-1
10. Red P6+1
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 14 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
10. Black C6-2
10. Black C6-2
11. Red E3-5 (check)
11. Black K5=6
11. Black K5=6
12. Red C5=4
Why it works–
What to watch out for
Not forcing: the defender has 7 replies, so compare each one before playing it.
12. Black K6+1
12. Black K6+1
13. Red C4+5 (captures the Cannon)
Why it works
Wins material: takes the Cannon.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
13. Black K6+1
13. Black K6+1
14. Red P6=7
14. Black K6-1
14. Black K6-1
15. Red E5-3
15. Black K6=5
15. Black K6=5
16. Red C4=8
16. Black K5+1
16. Black K5+1
17. Red C8+3 (the only legal reply)
Why it works
Forcing: the opponent has only one reply, so the line cannot be avoided.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
17. Black K5=4
17. Black K5=4
18. Red K4=5 (checkmate)
Why it works
Ends the game: no legal reply remains.
What to watch out forNo real drawback in this position.
18. Red K4=5

Variations and alternative defences

The source manual records 2 variations. Each branch starts from the move number shown.

Variation 1, from move 5: C4+2 6. C6=5+ K5=4 7. P5=6 C4=5 8. K4=5 C5=4 9. C5-1 C4=2 10. C5=6+ C2=4 11. C6+7 Try it on the board
Variation 2, from move 4: C4=6 5. C6-5 C6=5 6. P5=6+ K4=5 7. P6+1 C5=6 8. E3-5 C6+2 9. C6=5+ K5=6 10. C5=4 Try it on the board

Final position

Red wins after 18 moves. The General has no legal move.

Questions about this puzzle

Who moves first in "No. 15: Cannon, High Soldier and Elephant Win by Rule vs Lone Cannon"?

Red moves first, as in every puzzle of Practical Endgames.

How many moves does the solution take?

18 moves. The main line is shown above; alternative defences are covered in the variations section.

What is the key move?

The first move E5+3 starts the combination. Everything that follows depends on it.

Can I play this position myself?

Yes. Open it on ChessZing, where the board checks your moves and shows the solution if you get stuck.

← Previous puzzle: No. 14: Cannon, High Soldier and Elephant Win by Rule vs Elephant and Soldier Next puzzle: No. 16: Cannon, High Soldier and Advisor Win by Rule vs Two Elephants and One Advisor →